Of the many ways of conveying information the most up-to-date is via the
Web. The review software package, Seminar4Web, is the latest version of
Information Transfer’s web-capable multimedia authoring system.
The software, designed for use on any current version of Windows, covering
the 9x and NT kernels enables you to make programs available via an Intranet or
local disk.
Installation is quick and simple, following common practice. You can decide
which drive and directory you want to use and the process does not add or alter
your Windows directory. This makes for perfect compatibility with existing
installed software and no conflicts. You need about 5Mb of disk space in all.
Learning to use the software was very quick and I was able to make my first
presentation after just a few minutes study and experimentation.
To make any presentation, you need to plan carefully what is to be included
and what outcomes you want to achieve. This is just as important when creating
multimedia presentations, but Seminar4Web makes the construction and assembly
of your ideas really simple.
You can make use of the Question and Answer features to enhance the learning
experience and you can collate the results of the sessions for feedback to your
viewers or for management use.
Structuring your presentation could not be simpler. You can set a style that
flows through your program and then structure each page with text and/or
pictures. You can set ‘hot spots’ in images for viewers to find, click on and
get feedback on their progress.
I found it pleasant to use Seminar4Web and the software is so easy to master
that you can be very productive quickly.
The main criticism was that it always installed the Presenter software in my
C:\Seminar Programs directory and was not asked at installation where I wanted
it to be placed, although it does ask where to install the Planner software
used to create your presentations.
I also found it did not let me alter an image easily once inserted into a
page. Also, an Edit option on a RMB menu would have been useful.
But if you want to use multimedia for your training, I recommend you take a
good look at Seminar4Web. You’ll like what you see.
Mike Perry, Zuken
